Burning Angels
by Amelia Letter
Summary: He wondered, ever so briefly, if maybe, just maybe, she craved his touch like he craved hers. Glimpses of Royai, in their finest moments and in their times of peril. Rated for content.


**A/N: I couldn't resist, the Royai feels in me were getting overwhelming, so I wrote a fic... in the Brotherhood universe (because happy endings, that's why). And you guys cannot believe how lucky I was to find that first quote. Also, this was written for the 10 Fandoms Challenge on HPFC. Anyways, enjoy! :D**

**Word Count: 3234**

* * *

_December 23, 1903_

"_Love is an alchemist that can transmute poison into food." –Charles Caleb Colton, _Lacon _(published in 1820)_

Roy slipped on his coat and ran to catch up with Riza, who was already at the small front gate of the quaint Hawkeye residence. He enjoyed the brief moment of being unnoticed and jumped at the opportunity to shamelessly stare at the girl one year his junior.

Roy would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't attracted to Riza in the slightest. He was, after all, an eighteen year-old boy and she an attractive young woman. Although, it was true that Roy had never dared to sneak a glance at the blonde seventeen year-old in the presence of Master Hawkeye. That would be suicide.

Roy managed to catch up with Riza quite easily. "Hello there," he greeted, his breath made visible by the cold winter air.

Riza looked up at him as they trudged through the ankle-deep snow and smiled lightly. "Hello, Roy," she returned. "I would think my father would have you breaking your back and mind with alchemy at this hour."

"Lucky me, I suppose," Roy said with a small shrug. "He cancelled the next three days' lessons on account of festivities and I thought I might accompany you to the market to help you out."

Riza turned her head and focused her gaze straight ahead, her smile stretching only a bit more. "Thank you, Roy," she said. "That would be lovely."

The true reason Riza turned her head, however, was in a shameful attempt to subtly hide her face going red. Fortunately for her, the blush that spread across her cheeks could've easily been mistake as a work of the cold. Riza knew full well that her foolish schoolgirl crush was just that. Foolish and, unfortunately for her, quite futile. There were plenty of other, more attractive, women for Roy to set his eyes on.

Roy, however, took the opportunity to sneak a glance at her. He noted how the ends of her short blonde hair stuck out from the black toque she had on and how she seemed to try and bury her face into the scarf that wrapped around her neck. Riza's arms were crossed tightly across the front of her coat as she pushed through the snow. Roy smiled lightly and looked away.

Soon enough, the pair arrived to the small town market. Roy turned to Riza again. "So what will we be needing?" he asked.

"Erm…" Riza mumbled, pulling out a crumpled sheet of paper from her coat pocket. "Well, we need a turkey, some cranberries, and ingredients for stuffing."

"Didn't think Christmas dinner would be so big at the Hawkeyes," Roy commented jokingly.

Riza shrugged. "Mum used to do the Christmas dinners all the time," she replied. "I guess Dad didn't want to let go of them."

Roy nodded and walked off to a vegetable stand that contained some onions. He heard Riza walk up behind him and he turned to face her. "We'll be needing some of these, then, right?" he said, holding up one of the onions.

Riza simply nodded in reply and grabbed the onion from his grasp to place it in her market bag. Without a word, she headed for a shelf holding boxes of cranberries. Roy followed after her, unwilling to just let her slip out of his grasp like that. It was a rarity to catch her alone and for some reason, Roy felt really weird around her.

Like his stomach was on a crazy car ride.

Nevertheless, Roy also knew that he was never going to get this opportunity of being alone with her again. And despite the fact that he wasn't a person to go on a crazy car ride, he sure loved how she made him feel.

So as Riza reached up to grab a box of cranberries, Roy also reached up and softly grabbed her hand. Riza turned to him, shocked by his gesture. Roy kept his gaze intently focused on her. _Thank heavens Master isn't here_, Roy thought to himself._ He'd wring my neck._

"What—?" Riza started. She paused and bit her lip. "I can get it on my own," she finally said.

Roy didn't reply. He simply lowered her hand and grasped it a bit more comfortably. Riza's eyes darted from their intertwined hands to Roy's face, confused and slightly flustered. _What on earth is he doing?_ Riza thought to herself nervously.

And that was when she noticed he was slowly leaning forward. Everything in her mind told Riza to pull away. This couldn't end well, no matter how badly she wanted it to start. But Riza remained where she was, unmoving. Before she knew it, Roy's face was a mere few inches away from hers and then… and then their lips touched.

Riza's worst fears arose immediately. She became practically addicted to his gentle touch straight away and Riza knew that possibly couldn't be a good thing. But it was so incredibly hard to resist kissing Roy back and truth be told, it was even better than in the dreams Riza was most definitely not having.

It didn't take long for her to kiss him back. It was simply… wonderful. There was no particular word that could fully describe how she felt. That kiss was a taste of heaven for Riza and she would never forget it. She would never forget the taste of his lips, or how they felt. It was safe to say that Roy Mustang had put her in a trance with only a kiss.

Roy pulled away, but only slightly. His face was still unbearably close to hers and Riza could feel her heart ready to jump out of her ribcage. This time, she leaned forward to meet their lips once more.

Riza's hands went around his neck so she could pull herself closer to him. Roy let go of Riza's hand and gripped her waist lightly. Deep inside, Riza knew there was no way this could happen, no way this could work. But something pulled her to him like a moth to a flame. She couldn't seem to get enough and Riza hoped that at least she could enjoy what she had for the time being.

* * *

_September 3, 1905_

"_Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs." –William Shakespeare_

Just as Riza expected, not much had amounted from that kiss two years prior. There was something though. They had met on the roof at night, spent their free time in each other's company, but there was only so much they could do. From far away, the probably looked like any other typical teenage relationship.

But she had still gotten along with Roy. A different sort of relationship sprouted between them once he had declared he was becoming a State Alchemist. Roy grew much more serious. Riza had no trouble figuring out what was on his mind, and she hated the idea of it.

Quietly, she handed Roy a mug filled with tea and sat next to him. He nodded his thanks and took a sip. The two were in the living room of the Hawkeye house. It had been only three weeks since her father had died. It didn't affect Riza very much. Her relationship with her father was quite strained anyways.

What affected Riza was Roy's visit. She knew exactly what he was going to ask.

"Your father…" Roy started quietly. "He refused to teach me flame alchemy but… but he did say that you…. that you had his notes."

Roy felt bad for asking this of her. He wondered how this visit made him look. Selfish probably. Roy certainly didn't want Riza thinking he was selfish. He did visit to see her as well. He had missed her.

Riza was silent for the longest amount of time. It made Roy nervous and it made him feel bad again. Riza stood up and crossed the living room and Roy honestly thought she would just leave him there on his own, until she stopped in the middle of the room.

Roy stood up, but didn't move from his spot. Confused surprise ran through him when the jacket Riza was wearing fell to the floor to reveal her bare back. The confused surprise was replaced with understanding once his brain registered the large tattoo on her back. Slowly and quietly, Roy approached her to see the transmutation array tattooed to her back better.

Roy noted how her shoulders rose and fell from her soft breathing as he reached out to trail his fingers over the flame alchemy tattoo. When Riza felt the tips of his fingers grazing her back, she shut her eyes and clenched her teeth together to compose herself. She couldn't believe she was doing this.

Suddenly, Roy pulled his hand away slightly. "Sorry," he whispered.

"It's fine," Riza returned quietly.

She felt his touch again, softly running over her back like the soft whisper of the wind.

"So these are his famed Flame Alchemy notes," Roy mused quietly. "Even in death, he never ceases to amaze me."

"Guess he wanted to make sure they stayed hidden," Riza replied.

No reply came, but Riza still felt his fingers softly tracing the tattoo. And then the movements stopped and she felt his palm gently set on her back. Riza didn't move. She knew she should've, but she couldn't. Mostly because she didn't want the sensation of his hand running down her back and moving around her waist to stop.

"Sorry," he whispered again. However, he did not move, and this time he was close enough for Riza to feel his warm breath on her bare shoulder.

Riza turned her head slightly to see his face, only inches away from him. "It's fine," she whispered back, her eyes not sure if they should focus on his mouth or meet his gaze.

And once more, their lips met, and Riza knew that there were even more reasons not to let this continue this time around. They both knew what dangers they faced by giving in to their desires, but neither made a move to stop it.

Riza took the opportunity of a small pause in their kissing to turn to face him. Afterwards, their kissing changed from the soft, slow, and gentle kisses that Riza knew so well. It turned into something heated and needy and full of passion and Riza found that she liked that even better.

Riza's hands wrapped around his shirt collar and she pulled him closer. She felt Roy's hands still slowly exploring her bare back, as if trying to memorize every crease, every muscle, every bone.

The pair clumsily walked over to Riza's bedroom, unwilling to pull apart. So many sirens were going off in their heads to stop the nonsense, but neither had the courage to put an end to the heaven they were experiencing. Their minds were already far too euphoric to make any rational decisions and both had only one thing they wanted to do.

Soon enough, hands were grabbing at any clothing that dared to stand in the way of the skin they both craved to touch. It didn't take long for their clothing to be discarded in numerous piles on the floor. Riza let her hands drag across his skin, leaving a trail of pure need.

Riza soon found herself trapped between her soon-to-be lover and the small, uncomfortable mattress. She didn't mind; she would never mind. As Roy stared down at her and noted the rapid rise and fall of her chest, her slender neck, her muscled legs… he knew there wasn't a chance he'd let her go before he kissed and cherished every inch of her skin.

Riza felt tingles on her skin that were left behind by his touch, his kiss. Their minds grew fuzzy and their movements slow. Both took their time to take each other in, to feel everything there was to feel. Their motions and whispers and moans of pleasure became unified.

Riza's hands gripped his back, occasionally letting her fingers trail down along his sides. Roy's hands slid under her back and his kisses moved from her lips to her jawline, her neck, her shoulders… he could've spent all day with her.

Their movements remained slow and passionate. Neither was in a hurry to escape from this state of being. Roy relished in having Riza's body so close to his, so close that he could feel and hear her heartbeat and breathing. Riza adored the feeling of being able to let her guard down and being able to trust someone. When her hands wandered on his back, she made sure to memorize every muscle.

There was nothing, nowhere, better than whatever they were feeling, or wherever they had escaped to. Their moans and sighs of pleasure turned into lovely music. Their slow and passionate movements turned into an exotic dance. It was as if they had found a whole new world of their own creation and neither wanted to leave.

So every day the two had together turned out to be spent escaping to a heaven on earth neither wanted to abandon. He would visit her and read through the flame alchemy notes on her back, and then they'd be a mess of tangled limbs and euphoria all over again.

And this was how Roy found himself on that particular day. His arm was slung over her side, his nose buried into her shoulder breathing in her scent. Riza's body was close to his, so close that she could feel his heartbeat. Their limbs were tangled in the thin bed sheets. Neither wanted to move from where they were.

But they knew they had to.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Roy whispered.

"I know," Riza replied quietly. "It's against the law," she added a bit sourly.

"It's hard to take in, isn't it?" Roy said. He couldn't believe that their stupid military certifications were all that was keeping them apart.

"We have to stop, don't we?" Riza asked quietly. She feared it.

Roy's fingers trailed softly along her stomach. "I think so," he answered.

* * *

_November 8, 1908_

"_The course of true love never did run smooth." –William Shakespeare_

If Roy hadn't hated himself before, he would soon. He couldn't believe what Riza was asking him to do. It tore him apart just at the mere thought of it, but he had promised her and she seemed ready to accept it.

Roy stood for a moment, unmoving. She was hunched over, her bare back exposed to him, and gripping the wooden footboard of the bed. Roy watched her shoulders rise and fall with her heavy breathing. He noticed her fingernails digging into the wood of the footboard.

"_Please_," she suddenly said, her voice no higher than a whisper. "Please just do it, sir. Before I change my mind."

Roy clenched his teeth together to keep from shouting, crying, anything. He slid on that stupid glove, the murderer of many, and directed a flame towards her back. He closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to watch.

At first, the flame was like the touch of a warm wind, but then the heat grew more intense. And then she felt her skin searing with pain and crumbling under the destructive flame. Riza gripped the wooden footboard harder and she felt tears stinging her eyes. But she would not cry out her pain. There was not a chance of that.

Roy opened his eyes shortly after to extinguish the flame. That was when he noticed Riza's tensed arm muscles and her cheeks covered in tears. Roy immediately took her hands and led her to the bed, laying her down slowly, her back facing towards the ceiling.

He grabbed the bucket of water he had placed at the foot of the bed and dunked a cloth in it. He gently dabbed at the large burn on her back, the burn he had put there, and he saw her wince. Softly he took her hand in his.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her.

Riza shook her head lightly. "Don't be," she croaked. "I asked you to do this, sir."

They both wanted to drop the 'sir's and the 'lieutenant's and go back to their heaven on earth, but they knew they couldn't. They had told each other that they had no choice, and they really didn't. What would they do if they were discovered?

There was nothing Roy could do to comfort her except tend to her wounds.

* * *

_January 27, 1914_

"_Love is eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence." –Vincent van Goh_

Roy sat at his desk with a giant pile of paperwork in front of him. Most of the words were flying straight over his head. The ones he managed to comprehend were blurry. It was one of his bad days. His mind was elsewhere and there was no way he would be able to pull it together and focus.

So with a defeated sigh, he leaned back in his chair and glanced at the desks his subordinates were at.

"Finished already, sir?" he heard Riza ask with amusement in her tone. "That was quick. So quick that it's almost unbelievable."

With another sigh and a small shake of his head, Roy pretended to go back to work, but his eyes remained on Riza. She had let her hair grow long, but he had rarely seen it down. And he knew what was under that uniform. Her delicate curves, the soft skin he had touched every square inch of… it drove him mad. And that was when he wondered, ever so briefly, if maybe, just maybe, she craved his touch like he craved hers.

Well, at least Roy now knew where his mind had gone. He definitely wasn't getting back to work now.

* * *

_April 29, 1915_

"_There is more pleasure in loving than in being beloved." –Thomas Fuller_

Darkness. Just darkness. He had no idea how he would get used to all of this darkness. Or how he would get used to never seeing Riza's face again.

"Wakey, wakey, Colonel!" Roy heard a voice chant.

Why should he wake up? The world would be all the same to him if his eyes were open. Unable to see everything that he was hearing. _But wait… the Philospher's Stone_. He was cured wasn't he? And Riza had to be there. He couldn't wait to see her face again.

He opened his eyes and once the bright light receded, he nearly voiced his disappointment.

"Oh, good, we thought you were dead," Havoc said cheerily, standing over Roy. "That stone really knocked you out."

"Muvdsh asyud, hevk," Roy muttered, waving his hand.

"What?" Havoc asked.

"Move… aside…" Roy repeated slowly and more clearly.

"Oh, all right then," Havoc said.

The moment Havoc moved out of the way, he saw her. A slightly bloody bandage was wrapped around her neck and her long blonde hair was down. Her brown eyes looked full of worry. Roy tried to smile.

"Thanks, Lieutenant," he said quietly.

"No problem, sir!" Havoc answered.

Riza laughed lightly. "Glad to see you're up and running, Colonel," she said.

"_He's_ up and running? Look at me!" Havoc exclaimed happily. "I couldn't feel my legs five minutes ago—now I can! Look at this!"

The room filled with laughter as everyone averted their attention to Havoc. Roy took the opportunity to lightly grasp Riza's hand. She looked over at him, her eyes widened in surprise. She crouched down to meet his eyes.

"Thank you for everything, Riza," he whispered to her.

"No problem, Roy," she replied, just as quietly. Quickly, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

They smiled at each other and then broke away before anyone could notice their interaction.

_Soon_, Roy thought. _Soon I'll have her in my arms again._

* * *

**I don't regret using two Shakespeare quotes in a row. This guy knew his romance.**

**-Grammar/spelling?**  
**-Too OOC?**  
**-Ahem… first time writing smut-but-not-smut so um… was it okay? idk guys, help me out.  
****-Favourite of the quotes? Personal favourite quote of all time?**

**Thanks for reading!**


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